Bizarre claim that Oklahoma wants only Trump-endorsed Bibles in classrooms sparks outrage

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA: Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters is seeking to purchase 55,000 Bibles for public schools which match the description of the version endorsed by GOP nominee and former President Donald Trump.

The specified version includes a copy of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, which are not part of other widely available versions of the Bible.

The request is part of the education official's efforts to mandate Bibles in every classroom, a move that has been opposed by some of the state’s largest school districts, as per Daily Mail. 

Which version of the Bible is endorsed by Donald Trump?

The version of the Bible endorsed by Donald Trump is called "God Bless the USA Bible," inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic ballad, according to nonprofit news outlet Oklahoma Watch. It retails for $59.99. 

Following the July Butler rally assassination attempt, a new edition of the Bible titled, "God Bless The USA Bible – 'The Day God Intervened' Edition, was released with custom embossing "in remembrance of the day that God intervened during President Donald J Trump’s assassination attempt."

A signature edition of the Bible is available for $1,000. 

Walters is seeking to spend $3 million in state funds for Bibles that fit the description of Trump-endorsed Bibles, including pages that are supplemented with material from US history. The Bible is also expected to be "bound in leather or leather-like material for durability," noted the state bidding documents. 

Dan Isett, a spokesman for the Oklahoma State Department of Education, shared that the bid was open to any vendor when asked if it was tailored to benefit the one backed by Trump.

He stated, "Superintendent Walters has committed the agency to an open and transparent RFP process, consistent with the norms for state procurement, that will be adequate to meet the needs of Oklahoma classrooms. There are hundreds of Bible publishers and we expect a robust competition for this proposal." 

In June, Walters, who was elected to his post in 2022, ordered public schools to incorporate the Bible into lessons for grades 5 through 12. He also pushed schools to post the Ten Commandments. 

Internet rebukes Oklahoma for wanting to buy Donald Trump-endorsed Bible 

Netizens were noticeably taken aback by the news of Ryan Walters seeking to buy Bibles matching the description of the Donald Trump-endorsed version came to light.

A Reddit user said, "Totally not a cult, amirite," while another added, "Indoctrination on the highest level. You have to be stupid not to see what is going on."

"Next school uniform will only be gold shoes with American flags," joked a person, possibly referring to the "Never Surrender" gold sneakers launched by Trump. "That’s just disgusting," expressed someone else.

"Surprised he hasn’t substituted his name in them for God and Christ," quipped one more, and another person declared, "I’m not paying taxes that might fund those schools."

An individual hoped, "Wow, nothing will drive their kids away from Christianity more. At least let some libertarians step in and calm their paranoia." 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.